Rushed to buy netbooks

Apple can laugh at the netbook as a "weird, half-hearted device with a cramped keyboard", but users don't turn away from these super-sleek computers so cold .

An "own"

In fact, there is no sign that netbook consumption is leveling off. Even according to statistics of research firm IDC, the amount of netbooks sold worldwide in the first quarter of 2009 also jumped . 7 times over the same period last year, reaching nearly 4.5 million. machine.

With this achievement, netbooks contributed nearly 8% of all PC sales in the first 3 months of this year.

" Beginning in early 2008, netbooks have attracted the attention of users. Now almost everyone knows this term. More importantly, they have considered buying and owning at least one. "" said Jay Chou of IDC.

Due to its low cost and compact size, the netbook is particularly attractive as an auxiliary computer, operating in parallel with your existing desktop or laptop.

Affordable prices are a key factor in the fast-selling netbook, even though people are tightening their budgets because of the economic crisis.

" Many students consider netbooks to be very efficient and portable devices, while others mostly surf the net and write documents on netbooks. They don't want to carry a laptop weighing a few kilograms to a good class. On the way to work, "Mr. Chou added.

Good-medium-enough

" PC businesses have awakened to the fact that users are completely satisfied with" good-medium-enough "computing. We don't always need the power of a Core 2 Duo dual-core chip. Most of the time, the CPU only uses about 5% of its capacity. "

According to IDC, the netbook market will double in size in 2009, with 22 million units sold. In particular, consumption momentum will increase sharply in the beginning of the school year in the third quarter and may jump again in the 2009 Christmas shopping season.

However, it is likely that the reel will slow down since 2010, when netbooks have become a major flow in the PC market.

Although he did not give a specific market share of each netbook maker in the first quarter of 2009, Mr. Chou believed that the rankings of firms did not change compared to the fourth quarter of 2008. Acer is still the leading company with 32% market share, followed by Asus with 26%. Next are three giants HP, Lenovo and Samsung.

Not long ago, Acer President and CEO Gianfranco Lanci expected the company to sell 10-12 million netbooks in 2009, compared with more than 5 million netbooks in 2008.

Netbook sales increased sharply in Europe and Japan in the first quarter. Japan has always been a favorite market for small products, so it is no surprise that netbooks are well received.

Add features, big screen

Despite joining the game late, Samsung still saw buyers coming to the new NC10 netbook, especially in Western Europe. The advantage of the NC10 is its large screen and spacious, comfortable keyboard.

According to IDC's analysis, telecom firms play a huge role in boosting netbook fever in Europe and Japan, because they have decided to subsidize the device.

That trend has also spread to the United States, when AT&T offered an Acer netbook for $ 99, as long as the user signed a mobile broadband subscription within two years.

Netbook usage rates will continue to rise in the near future, as PC vendors race by adding more new features to their products. For example, Asus has just added a DVD optical drive for an upcoming netbook model.

Or before that, netbook models were disparaged because of their poor graphics capabilities. But now, Nvidia has launched a chip platform that allows high-definition video to be enjoyed on netbooks.

In addition, users are increasingly interested in netbooks with larger screen sizes, from 10-12 inches. If at the beginning of last year, a 7-inch netbook dominated the market, this year, the 10-inch netbook is the king.